3 On Your Side: 2014 Grads Have Great Job Expectations

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — New college grads and their parents are eyeing the latest jobs report for clues on where to land a starting role.

Grant Haver just graduated with a political science degree, but he’s back in this classroom hoping to shape some answers to some important questions.

“I’m thinking about where am I going to live? What kind of job will I get?” he says.

Just about every member of the class of 2014 has similar worries, yet they remain optimistic. A survey from consulting firm Accenture found 84 percent of this year’s grads expect to find a job in their chosen field. Among their predecessors in the classes of 2012 and 2013, however, almost half describe themselves as “underemployed.”

Career Services Director Christine Cruzvergara keeps tabs on the ever-changing list of fields in demand. She says, “Some of the major things that we really try to hammer home with them is, be curious, always be learning. Be willing to be flexible and adapt to the changing environment that you’re in — that’s what’s going to help you be successful in your career.”

The Accenture survey also found 80 percent of students expected some sort of formal training starting a job.

Anthony Abbatiello is the global lead for Accenture Human Resource Consulting. He says, “Part of that is cultural. Part of that is ‘skills that I’ll actually need to do my job in this company,’ and we see the direct correlation between assimilation and onboarding to productivity and performance.”

It’s also interesting to note that the Accenture survey found 75 percent of this year’s grads said they looked at the availability of jobs in their fields before deciding their major. That’s compared to only 65 percent of 2012 graduates.